When I was child, I can recall sitting with my grandmother, looking at the seed catalog, looking for the best tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. It seemed like her whole garden came from that catalog. Those times are long gone now. I don’t have the time to wait the month or more for germination. Do you?

Some herb plants are better than others for germinating from seeds. One herb that will quickly grow and rapidly mature is dill. Germination for the dill plant is simple. On the other hand, you’ll already be in herb gardener retirement when your thyme plant finally matures. Annuals are easily grown from seeds, as are some perennials. Since perennials keep coming back every year, they are real bargains for your budget.

I prefer not to begin my perennial herbs in a seed tray or in a regular herb garden bed; instead, I use a container. They take a while to get going, so it is important that they have room to grow and not face competition from other herbs or even weeds. Most herbs can begin to sprout within 3 or four weeks.

Depending on the climate where you live, you may be able to plant both your annual herbs and perennial herbs at the same time, any time of the year. If you live in a colder climate, sow your annuals in the spring, summer or fall—all will work.

These are a couple of the best herb plants to grow from seeds:

• Anise: Also known as the hyssop, the anise plant has a nice licorice aroma and has almost iridescent purple, green and blue notched leaves and spiked flowers of blue and purple. Most folks use anise as a flavoring in many dishes and in teas. You can also use it in your potpourri. Start these inside in a little terra cotta pots at least six to 8 weeks before you intend to move this perennial outside.

• Caraway: The interesting looking caraway herb, which has a nutty, licorice flavor that is just as interesting, is used in liqueurs, but also in sauerkraut, split pea soup and even goulash. Although you can eat the root, the most often used part of the plant is its seed. To have a longer growing season with this biennial, start your plant indoors from seeds at least six weeks before you plan to move it outdoors.

• Coneflower: Add coneflower to your herb garden if you’re looking for a perennial that is not complicated to care for. Even though many people call it a wildflower, it is an herb because of its medicinal benefits. The healing name for the coneflower is Echinacea, which can hold your allergies in check and keep your immune system strong.

It will take about 6 weeks for your herb plants to sprout, get strong and be ready to go outside in either pots or beds. This is especially helpful if you live in cold-weather climates—it will give you a jumpstart on the growing season.

If you are in a warm-weather zone, you can start your perennials at anytime.

When you sow your annual seeds, just sow them straight to your herb garden, or container if you’re going to start there. Most of your basic annuals will sow their own seeds if the growing season is good and you’ll be off the hook for that.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Kits. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.